Content synchronization between display devices

ABSTRACT

Techniques for handing off media content between proximate display devices are provided. Based on a first media player device currently playing media content from a remote media server receiving a request to hand off the media content to a proximate second media player device, the first media player device may send a handoff token to a second media player device to enable the second media player device to play the media content from the remote media server. The handoff token may include an indication of the media content, an indication of a point within a stream of the media content, and/or credentials associated with the user of the first media player device. The second media player device may send the handoff token to the remote media server, which may send the media content to the second media player device based on verifying the information provided in the handoff token.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for handing offmedia content between display devices.

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that there are an average of two TVs and two smartphonesper US household. Users are continually searching for and watching mediacontent that interests them on personal devices of all types, includingdownloadable or streaming media content provided by media contentservices via the Internet. Millennials in particular watch more videocontent on their mobile devices then on traditional TVs, even when a TVis readily accessible in the same room. Currently, a user who wishes towatch mobile device content on a larger screen can screen share (orscreen mirror) or “cast” mobile device content to his or her TV.However, current screen sharing, screen mirroring, and castingtechniques are not user-friendly and only work in specific scenarios.For instance, current casting techniques only allow casting in onedirection. That is, a user can use casting techniques to share videofrom a mobile device to a TV, but cannot use casting techniques in theother direction (from a TV to a mobile device).

SUMMARY

Techniques for transitioning or handing off content that is beingplayed/displayed on a first media player device to a second media playerdevice are provided. For example, a user watching a movie on a TV maywish to continue watching on a mobile device when leaving the room inwhich the TV is located. Similarly, a user watching a movie on his orher mobile device may wish to switch to watching the movie on his or herTV.

Content applications configured to play the content may be installed onboth the first media player device and the second media player device.When a user indicates that he or she wishes to switch from the firstmedia player device to the second media player device, the first mediaplayer device may transmit an encryption key, such as a handoff tokenincluding the necessary information (e.g., account ID, timestamp, mediaID, media locator/frame), to the second media player device, and thesecond media player device may use the token to authenticate/authorizeitself with a media server through a separate network connection (i.e.,not through the first media player device). After the media serververifies the user's credentials, the media server may transmit theindication of the content and the current frame to the contentapplication running on the second media player device, which mayautomatically begin playing the indicated content at the current frame.Advantageously, the transition from the first media player device to thesecond media player device may appear seamless to the user, because theuser does not need to log in to the content application running on thesecond media player device, locate or select the content, or locate hisor her current frame in the content.

The user may indicate that he or she wishes to switch from the firstmedia player device to the second media player device in severaldifferent ways. Once the two devices are determined to be in proximityof one another (e.g., based on one device receiving a short-range signaltransmitted by the other device), a user may “tap” the devices togetherto trigger the handoff of the content between the devices. For instance,the devices (or one of the devices) may determine that they have beentapped together based on one of the devices receiving a low-powershort-range signal (e.g., a Bluetooth® signal or other nearfield signal)from the other device. In some examples, a user may trigger the handoffof the content between the devices by performing a gesture (e.g., byholding one of the devices and gesturing). For example, an accelerometerof the device being held may detect the gesture being performed by theuser. In other examples, once the two devices are determined to be inproximity of one another, one or both of the devices may generate anotification allowing a user to select an option to hand off contentbetween the devices.

For instance, in an example use case, a user may be watching a movie onher TV but may need to take her dog for a walk. The user may grab hermobile device as she gets up from the couch, walk to the TV or set topbox (STB), and lightly touch her mobile device to the TV or STB. Theuser may then see a message on her mobile device asking if she wants tosync her content and may confirm (e.g., by selecting “yes” via a userinterface of the mobile device), and the movie may begin playing on theuser's mobile device. Accordingly, the user may continue to watch hermovie via her mobile device while taking her dog for a walk.

In another example use case, as a user is watching his favorite teamplay in a critical game on his living room TV, the game enters overtimeand it is getting late. The user may decide to head upstairs to watchthe game on his bedroom TV, so he may grab his mobile device as he getsup from his recliner and touch it to his TV/STB. A message may pop up onhis mobile device asking if he wants to sync his content, and he mayselect “yes” via a user interface of his mobile device to confirm.Accordingly, the user can watch the game on his mobile device as helocks up and turns off the lights and heads upstairs. When the user getsto his bedroom he may touch the mobile device to his bedroom TV/STB, andconsequently see a message on the TV asking if he wants to sync hiscontent to that TV. Accordingly, the user may select “yes” and startwatching the game on his bedroom TV.

In still another example use case, a user may be watching a movie whileriding a stationary bike at the gym but may not finish the movie beforethe end of her workout. When the user arrives home, she may startwatching again for a brief moment on her mobile device and walk over tothe living room TV/STB, where she waves her mobile device in front ofthe TV/STB. A message may appear asking if she wants to sync hercontent, and she may confirm by selecting “yes” via a user interface.Accordingly, the user may finish watching her movie on her living roomTV.

In one aspect, a method for handing off media content between proximatedisplay devices is provided, the method comprising: receiving, by afirst media player device currently playing a particular frame of aparticular media content from a remote media server, an indication of arequest to hand off the particular media content to a second mediaplayer device not currently playing the particular media content; andsending, by the first media player device, a handoff token to the secondmedia player device to enable the second media player device to play theparticular media content from the remote media server. The handoff tokenmay include one or more of: an indication of the particular mediacontent, an indication of a first point within a stream of theparticular media content, and/or one or more credentials associated witha user of the first media player device.

In another aspect, a method for handing off media content betweenproximate display devices is provided, the method comprising: receiving,from a first media player device currently playing a particular mediacontent from a remote media server, by a second media player device notcurrently playing the particular media content, a handoff token toenable the second media player device to play the particular mediacontent from the remote media server; sending, from the second mediaplayer device to the remote media server, at least one of the indicationof the particular media content or the one or more credentialsassociated with the user of the first media player device; receiving, atthe second media player device from the remote media server, anindication of an authorization of the second media player device to playthe particular media content; and playing, by the second media playerdevice from the remote media server, the particular media contentstarting from a second point within the stream of the particular mediacontent based upon the indication of the first point within the stream.The handoff token may include one or more of: an indication of theparticular media content, an indication of a first point within a streamof the particular media content, and/or one or more credentialsassociated with a user of the first media player device.

In still another aspect, a system for handing off media content betweenproximate display devices is provided, the system comprising: a firstmedia player device configured to play media content; a second mediaplayer device configured to play media content; and a remote mediaserver, the remote media server comprising: one or more processors; anda non-transitory program memory communicatively coupled to the one ormore processors and storing executable instructions that, when executedby the one or more processors, cause the processors to: send aparticular media content to the first media player device; receive, fromthe second media player device, a handoff token including one or moreof: an indication of the particular media content or one or morecredentials associated with a user of the first media player device;verify one or more of: (i) the one or more credentials associated withthe user of the first media player device, (ii) that the user of thefirst media player device is authorized to access the particular mediacontent, or (iii) that the second media player device is authorized toaccess the particular media content; and responsive to the verifying,send one or more of: (i) an authorization to play the particular mediacontent or (ii) the particular media content to the second media playerdevice.

In another aspect, a method for handing off media content betweenproximate display devices is provided, the method comprising:determining, by one or more of a first media player device currentlyplaying a particular media content from a remote media server and asecond media player device, that the first media player device is withina threshold proximity of the second media player device; receiving, bythe first media player device, an indication of a request to hand offthe particular media content from the first media player device to thesecond media player device; and sending, by the first media playerdevice, responsive to the determination that the first media playerdevice is within the threshold proximity of the second media playerdevice and receiving the indication of the request, a handoff token tothe second media player device to enable the second media player deviceto play the particular media content from the remote media server.

In still another aspect, a system for handing off media content betweenproximate display devices is provided, the system comprising: a remotemedia server; a first media player device configured to play mediacontent; and a second media player device configured to play mediacontent; wherein the first media player device comprises: one or moreprocessors; and a non-transitory program memory communicatively coupledto the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that,when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to:determine that the first media player device is within a thresholdproximity of the second media player device; receive an indication of arequest to hand off the particular media content from the first mediaplayer device to the second media player device; and send, responsive tothe determination that the first media player device is within thethreshold proximity of the second media player device and receiving theindication of the request, a handoff token to the second media playerdevice to enable the second media player device to play the particularmedia content from the remote media server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures described below depict various aspects of the systems andmethods disclosed herein. Advantages will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of the embodimentswhich have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will berealized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and differentembodiments, and their details are capable of modification in variousrespects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regardedas illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. Further, whereverpossible, the following description refers to the reference numeralsincluded in the following figures, in which features depicted inmultiple figures are designated with consistent reference numerals.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system for handing offmedia content between display devices, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a signal diagram associated with an exemplarycommunication process for handing off media content between displaydevices, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for a displaydevice currently playing particular media content to hand off the mediacontent to a proximate display device not currently playing theparticular media content, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for a displaydevice to be handed off particular media content from a proximatedisplay device currently playing the particular media content, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of authenticatingmedia content handoff between two proximate display devices, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method of a displaydevice receiving a request to hand off particular media content to aproximate display device and sending a handoff token enabling theproximate display device to play the particular media content inresponse to the request, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system 100 for handingoff media content between display devices, in accordance with someembodiments. The high-level architecture illustrated in FIG. 1 mayinclude both hardware and software applications, as well as various datacommunications channels for communicating data between the varioushardware and software components, as is described below.

The system 100 may include two or more media player devices 102A, 102Bconfigured to communicate with one another, e.g., via short-rangecommunication interfaces 104A, 104B and/or via a network 106. The mediaplayer devices 102A, 102B may be further configured to communicate witha media content server 108 and/or media authentication server 110 viathe network 106.

The media player devices 102A, 102B may both be the same kind of devicesor may be different kinds of devices, including, for example, TVs and/orset top boxes associated with TVs, game consoles, mobile computingdevices such as smart phone or tablets, smart watches, head-mounteddisplays (HMD), digital assistant devices, smart appliances, and/orother devices suitable for playing media content, etc. As discussedabove, each media player device 102A, 102B may include a respectiveshort-range communication interface 104A, 104B. Additionally, each mediaplayer device 102A, 102B may include respective sensors 112A, 112B,and/or a respective user interface 114A, 114B. Furthermore, each mediaplayer device 102A, 102B may include one or more respective processors116A, 116B and a respective memory 118A, 118B (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory) accessible by one or more processors 116A, 116B(e.g., via a memory controller).

The short-range communication interfaces 104A, 104B may includetransmitters, receivers, transceivers, etc., and may be configured tosend and/or receive short-range wireless communication signals (e.g.,Bluetooth® signals, Zigbee® signals, infrared signals, etc.) from oneanother when the two media player devices 102A, 102B are within athreshold proximity of one another (e.g., 10 feet, 15 feet, 20 feet,etc.). In some examples, the threshold proximity may be set by a user,e.g., based on known locations of the user's typical media playerdevices. For instance, a user who typically watches television from a TVthat is mounted high on a wall may set a higher threshold proximity thana user who typically watches television from a TV that is placed ormounted on a smaller stand. In some examples, a short-rangecommunication interface 104A of one media player device 102A may beconfigured to selectively reduce its power in some instances in order totransmit a low-power short-range signal that is only receivable by ashort-range communication interface 104B of another media player device102B when the two devices are touching one another or are otherwisewithin a very short range of one another (e.g., 1 inch, 5 inches, etc.).

The sensors 112A, 112B may include motion sensors such as gyroscopesand/or accelerometers configured to detect motions of the respectivemedia player devices 102A, 102B. In some embodiments, the sensors 112A,112B may additionally or alternatively include other input sensors, suchas microphones digital imaging devices (e.g., digital cameras). Infurther embodiments, the media player devices 102A, 102B mayadditionally include input components (not shown) corresponding to oneor more sensors 112A, 112B, such as illumination components or speakers.

The user interfaces 114A, 114B may be configured to display contentbeing played by the respective media player devices 102A, 102B.Additionally, in some examples, the user interfaces 114A, 114B may beconfigured to present information, such as various alerts ornotifications, to users of the respective media player devices 102A,102B. Furthermore, in some examples, the user interfaces 114A, 114B maybe configured to receive inputs and/or selections from users of therespective media player devices 102A, 102B.

The one or more respective processors 116A, 116B may interact with eachrespective memory 118A, 118B to obtain, for example, computer-readableinstructions stored in the memory 118A, 118B. The computer-readableinstructions stored in the memories 118A, 118B may cause the one or morerespective processors 116A, 116B to execute respective media playerapplications 120A, 120B and/or media handoff applications 121A, 121B.For example, the media player applications 120A, 120B may be configuredto play media content sent to the media player devices 102A, 102B by themedia content server 108, e.g., via their respective user interfaces114A, 114B. In some embodiments, the media player application 120A, 120Bmay further be configured to request media from the media content server108 or provide device authentication or authorization information to themedia authentication server 110 in order to obtain the media content.

Moreover, the media handoff applications 121A, 121B may be configured todetect when other media player devices 102A, 102B are within a thresholdproximity, e.g., based on instances in which their respectiveshort-range communication interfaces 104A, 104B detect short-rangesignals from one another. Furthermore, the media handoff applications121A, 121B may be configured to send and/or receive requests to hand offcontent between the media player devices 102A, 102B. For instance, insome examples, a media handoff application 121A of a first media playerdevice 102A may receive an indication of a request to hand off contentfrom the first media player device 102A to the second media playerdevice 102B from a user of the first media player device 102A. Forexample, the user of the first media player device 102A may request thehandoff of content by performing a gesture with the first media playerdevice 102A (e.g., waving the first media player device, moving thefirst media player device in a circular motion, performing a flickmotion with the first media player device in the direction of the secondmedia player device, shaking the first media player device once or aparticular number of times, etc.), which may be detected by the sensors112A. As another example, the user of the first media player device 102Amay request the handoff of content by tapping the first media playerdevice 102A to the second media player device 102B, which may bedetected based on the short-range communication interface 104A of thefirst media player device 102A receiving a low-power short-range signalfrom the second media player device 102B. As still another example, theuser of the first media player device 102A may request the handoff ofcontent via the user interface 114A of the first media player device.

Moreover, in some examples, a user of the second media player device102B may request that the first media player device 102A handoff contentto the second media player device 102B, and the second media playerdevice 102B may send an indication of the request to the first mediaplayer device 102A, and the media handoff application 121A of the firstmedia player device 102A may receive the indication of the request. Forinstance, the user of the second media player device 102B may requestthe handoff in any of the ways discussed above with respect to the userof the first media player device 102A requesting handoff.

Additionally, the media handoff applications 121A, 121B may beconfigured to send and/or receive handoff tokens between the mediaplayer devices 102A, 102B, etc. For instance, based on receiving anindication of a request for a handoff of content from the first mediaplayer device 102A to a second media player device 102B within athreshold proximity of the first media player device 102A, the mediahandoff application 121A of the first media player device 102A may senda handoff token to the second media player device 102B, enabling thesecond media player device 102B to play the particular media contentbeing played by the first media player device at the time of therequest. For instance, the handoff token may include, e.g., anindication of the particular media content (e.g., an indication of whichmovie, television show, video, game, audio file, etc. is currently beingplayed by the first media player device 102A), an indication of a pointwithin a stream of the particular media content (e.g., 1 minute and 30seconds into the stream of the particular media content, frame 115 outof 500 of the particular media content, etc.), credentials associatedwith the user of the first media player device (e.g., username, accountnumber, or other identifying information associated with the user of thefirst media player device, passwords associated with the username oraccount number, etc.), etc.

The media handoff application 121B of the second media player device102B may in turn send the handoff token or information from the handofftoken to the media authentication server 110, which may authorizecontent to be sent to the second media player device 102B by the mediacontent server 108. For instance, in some examples, the media handoffapplication 121B may send the indication of the particular media contentbeing played by the first media player device 102A and the credentialsassociated with the user of the first media player device 102A from thehandoff token to the media authentication server 110. Moreover, in someexamples, the media handoff application 121B may additionally sendcredentials or other information associated with the second media playerdevice 102B and/or the user of the second media player device 102B tothe media authentication server 110. Upon the authorization of thevarious information from the second media player device 102B by themedia authentication server 110, the media content server may send theparticular content to the second media player device 102B. For instance,the media authentication server 110 may send an indication of theauthorization to the media content server 108, which may in turn sendthe particular content to the second media player device 102B.

Furthermore, the computer-readable instructions stored on the memory118A, 118B may include instructions for carrying out any of the steps ofthe methods 300, 400, 500, and/or 600, described in greater detail belowwith respect to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively.

The media content server 108 may include one or more processors 122 anda memory 124 (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory) accessible byone or more processors 122 (e.g., via a memory controller). The one ormore processors 122 may interact with each memory 124 to obtain, forexample, computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 124. Thecomputer-readable instructions stored in the memory 124 may cause theone or more processors 122 to access media content stored on the memory124 and/or media content stored in a media content database 126 and sendthe media content to the media player devices 102A, 102B. In particular,the computer-readable instructions stored on the memory 124 may includeinstructions for carrying out any of the steps of methods 300, 400, 500,and/or 600, described in greater detail below with respect to FIGS. 3,4, 5, and 6, respectively. The media content database 126 may beaccessed by or incorporated within the media content server 108, invarious embodiments.

The media authentication server 110 may include one or more processors128 and a memory 130 (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory)accessible by one or more processors 128 (e.g., via a memorycontroller). The one or more processors 128 may interact with eachmemory 130 to obtain, for example, computer-readable instructions storedin the memory 130. The computer-readable instructions stored in thememory 130 may cause the one or more processors 128 to access usercredential information or other authentication information stored on thememory 130 and/or in a user credential database 132 and authenticaterequests for content from the media player devices 102A, 102B. Inparticular, the computer-readable instructions stored on the memory 130may include instructions for carrying out any of the steps of themethods 300, 400, 500, and/or 600, described in greater detail belowwith respect to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The user credentialsdatabase 132 may be accessed by or incorporated within the mediaauthentication server 110, in various embodiments.

In some examples, the functionality described herein as being performedseparately by the media content server 108 and the media authenticationserver 110 may be performed by one remote media server (not shown).

FIG. 2 illustrates a signal diagram associated with an exemplarycommunication process 200 for handing off media content between displaydevices, in accordance with some embodiments. The communication process200 includes communication between a first media player device 102A, asecond media player device 1026, a media content server 108, and a mediaauthentication server 110, which are communicatively connected by theshort-range communication interfaces 104A, 1046 and/or the network 106,as described above with respect to FIG. 1. In some embodiments, thefirst media player device 102A may be in close proximity to the secondmedia player device 1026, which may be a precondition or requirement forcontent handoff. In other embodiments, the first media player device102A may be located remotely from the second media player device 1026(i.e., the devices may not be in close proximity), in which casecommunication between the first media player device 102A and the secondmedia player device 1028 may occur via the network 106 (e.g., throughdirect or intermediated communication, such as e-mail or short messageservice (SMS) communication).

The communication process 200 may begin when the media content server108 sends (line 202) media content, such as an interactive game, anaudio file, a movie, a TV show, or other video content, etc., to thefirst media player device 102A, e.g., in response to a request from thefirst media player device 102A. The first media player device 102A mayplay (line 204) the media content from the media content server 108.

In some examples, the first media player device 102A may send (line 205)a short-range wireless signal, and the second media player device 1028may receive (line 205) the short-range wireless signal. In otherexamples, the second media player device 1028 may send (line 205) ashort-range wireless signal, and the first media player device 102A mayreceive (line 205) the short-range wireless signal. In still otherexamples, both the first media player device 102A and the second mediaplayer device 1028 may both send and receive short-range wirelesssignals to and from one another.

For instance, in some examples, the first media player device 102A maydetermine (line 206) that the second media player device 1028 is withina threshold proximity (e.g., within a threshold number of inches, withina threshold number of feet, within the same room, etc.) of the firstmedia player device 102A (e.g., based on receiving the short-rangewireless signal from the second media player device 102B). In someexamples, the first media player device 102A may further receive (line208) a request from a user of the first media player device 102A to handoff content from the first media player device 102A to the second mediaplayer device 102B.

Moreover, in some examples, the second media player device 1028 maydetermine (line 210) that the first media player device 102A is within athreshold proximity (e.g., within a threshold number of inches, within athreshold number of feet, within the same room, etc.) of the secondmedia player device 1028 (e.g., based on receiving the short-rangewireless signal from the first media player device 102A). The secondmedia player device 1028 may further receive (line 212) a request from auser of the second media player device 1028 to hand off content from thefirst media player device 102A to the second media player device 1028.Furthermore, in some examples, in response to the first media playerdevice 102A being within the threshold proximity of the second mediaplayer device 1028 and the second media player device 1028 receiving therequest from the user, the second media player device 1028 may send(block 214), to the first media player device 102A, a request to handoff content from the first media player device 102A to the second mediaplayer device 1028.

In any case, in response to the request (e.g., the request at line 208,or the request at line 214) to hand off content from the first mediaplayer device 102A to the second media player device 102B, and thedetermined proximity of the two devices within the threshold proximity,the first media player device 102A may send (line 216) a handoff tokento the second media player device 1028. For instance, in some examples,the first media player device 102A may send the handoff token via ashort-range signal. The handoff token may include an indication of theparticular media content being played by the first media player device102A at line 204 and an indication of a current point within the streamof the particular media content, as well as one or more credentialsassociated with a user of the first media player device 102A.

The second media player device 102B may send (line 218) an indication ofthe particular media content and/or the one or more credentialsassociated with the user of the first media player device 102A from thehandoff token to the media authentication server 110. The mediaauthentication server 110 may verify (line 220) one or more of: thecredentials associated with the user of the first media player device102A, the authorization of the user of the first media player device102A to play the particular content, and/or the authorization of thesecond media player device 1028 to play the particular content, and maysend (line 222) an indication of the verification to the media contentserver 108. In some embodiments, the media authentication server 110 mayalso determine whether the first media player device 102A shouldcontinue receiving the media content after handing off the media contentto the second media player device 1028, which may be based upon useraccount parameters or the information received from the second mediaplayer device 1028.

The media content server 108 may in turn send (line 224) the particularmedia content to the second media player device 1028, and the secondmedia player device 1028 may play (line 226) the particular mediacontent. In particular, the second media player device 1028 may play theparticular media content from the point in the stream indicated in thehandoff token from the first media player device 102A, or at a differentpoint in the stream, e.g., a point in the stream determined based ontime elapsed since the handoff token was sent at line 216 and when thesecond media player device 1028 begins playing the content.

In some examples, the first media player device 102A may cease (line228) playing the particular media content once the second media playerdevice 1028 begins playing the content. In other examples, the firstmedia player device 102A may continue playing the particular mediacontent until, e.g., the content ends, the first media player device102A is turned off, a user exits or quits an application playing thecontent, etc.

In some examples, the communication process 200 may proceed or repeatwith roles of the first media player device 102A and second media playerdevice 1026 reversed, e.g., with a request to hand off media contentfrom the second media player device 1026 to the first media playerdevice 102A.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 300 for a displaydevice currently playing particular media content to hand off the mediacontent to a proximate display device not currently playing theparticular media content, in accordance with some embodiments. One ormore steps of the method 300 may be implemented as a set of instructionsstored on a computer-readable memory 118A, 1186, 124, and/or 130 andexecutable on one or more processors 116A, 1166, 122, and/or 128.

At block 302, a first media player device (e.g., media player device102A) may receive particular media content from a remote media server(e.g., the media content server 108), e.g., in response to requestingthe particular media content from the remote media server. In someexamples, the remote media server may send the particular content inresponse to receiving an indication of authentication of the first mediaplayer device (e.g., a verification of the user based on a passcode,fingerprint, facial recognition identity, etc., associated with theuser). At block 304, the first media player device may play theparticular media content received from the remote media server.

At block 306, the first media player device may receive an indication ofa request to hand off the particular media content to a second mediaplayer device (e.g., media player device 1026) that is not currentlyplaying the particular media content. For instance, in some examples,the request may originate from a user of the first media player device.Moreover, in some examples, the request may originate from a secondmedia player device (and/or from a user of the second media playerdevice).

At block 308, the first media player device may send a handoff token tothe second media player device to enable the second media player deviceto play the particular media content. For instance, the handoff tokenmay include, e.g., an indication of the particular media content, anindication of a point within a stream of the particular media content,and/or one or more credentials associated with a user of the first mediaplayer device. For instance, the point within the stream of theparticular media content may be a frame of the particular media content

-   -   e.g., a video or audio frame, or another suitable indicator of a        location within the media content being played by the first        media player device at the time of the request and/or at the        time of the handoff, such as a time elapsed since the first        media player device began playing the media content at the time        of the request and/or the time of the handoff.

Moreover, in some examples, the handoff token may further include a timestamp associated with the time that the first media player devicereceives the indication of the request to hand off the first mediacontent to the second media player device. Moreover, in some examples,the handoff token may include a time stamp associated with the time thatthe first media player device sends the handoff token to the secondmedia player device.

In some examples, the method 300 may include the first media playerdevice ceasing to play the particular media content upon sending thehandoff token to the second media player device. In some examples, thefirst media player device may cease to play the particular media contentafter a certain amount of time elapses after sending the handoff tokento the second media player device, such as within one second of sendingthe handoff token to the second media player device, within five secondsof sending the handoff token to the second media player device, etc.Moreover, in some examples, the first media player device may cease toplay the particular media content after receiving an indication that thesecond media player device has begun to play the particular mediacontent. Such cessation may be automatically controlled by the remotemedia server in some embodiments, e.g., by terminating a media contentstream to the first media player device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 400 for a displaydevice to be handed off particular media content from a proximatedisplay device currently playing the particular media content, inaccordance with some embodiments. One or more steps of the method 400may be implemented as a set of instructions stored on acomputer-readable memory 118A, 1188, 124, and/or 130 and executable onone or more processors 116A, 1168, 122, and/or 128.

At block 402, while a first media player device (e.g., the media playerdevice 102A) plays particular media content from a remote media server(e.g., the media content server 108), a second media player device(e.g., the media player device 1028) may optionally receive a requestfrom a user of the second media player device for a handoff of theparticular media content from the first media player device to thesecond media player device.

At block 404, responsive to receiving the request from the user of thesecond media player device, the second media player device mayoptionally send a request to the first media player device for a handofftoken to enable the second media player device to play the particularmedia content being played by the first media player device at the timeof the request.

In other examples, the first media player device may receive a requestfrom the user of the first media player device to hand off theparticular media content being played by the first media player deviceto the second media player device.

In any case, at block 406, the second media player device may receive ahandoff token from the first media player device. For instance, thehandoff token may include, e.g., an indication of the particular mediacontent, an indication of a point within a stream of the particularmedia content, and/or one or more credentials associated with a user ofthe first media player device. For instance, the point within the streamof the particular media content may be a frame of the particular mediacontent—e.g., a video or audio frame, or another suitable indicator of alocation within the media content being played by the first media playerdevice at the time of the request and/or at the time of the handoff,such as a time elapsed since the first media player device began playingthe media content at the time of the request and/or the time of thehandoff.

Moreover, in some examples, the handoff token may further include a timestamp associated with the time that the first media player devicereceives the indication of the request to hand off the first mediacontent to the second media player device. Furthermore, in someexamples, the handoff token may include a time stamp associated with thetime that the first media player device sends the handoff token to thesecond media player device. Additionally, the handoff token may includea time stamp associated with the time that the second media playerdevice receives the handoff token.

At block 408, the second media player device may send the indication ofthe particular media content and/or the credentials associated with theuser of the first media player device from the handoff token to a remotemedia server (e.g., the media authentication server 110). Because theremote media server controls media content access, it is not necessarythat the second media player device be able to access or decrypt thecredentials received from the first media player device, thus permittingsharing of the particular media content without security risk to anaccount associated with the first media player device.

At block 410, the second media player device may receive an indicationof an authorization to play the particular media content from a remotemedia server (e.g., the media authentication server 110), and/or mayreceive the particular media content from a remote media server (e.g.,the media content server 108). In some examples, such indication ofauthorization may include a notification of a successful handoff,playback parameters, a link to the content, or the beginning of theparticular content to be played.

At block 412, the second media player device may play the particularcontent from the remote media server. In some examples, the second mediaplayer device may play the particular content starting from the pointwithin the stream of the particular media content indicated in thehandoff token. Moreover, in some examples, the second media playerdevice may play the particular media content starting from a point basedon the point within the stream of the particular media content indicatedin the handoff token. For instance, the second media player device maystart playing the particular media content at a point within the streamof the particular media content after the point indicated in the handofftoken, e.g., after the point indicated in the handoff token by an amountof time based on the time elapsed since the request was received, or ona time elapsed since the handoff. In some instances, determining thepoint within the stream of the particular media content at which thesecond media player device should begin playing may be adjusted based onvarying frame rates of the first and second media player devices.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 500 ofauthenticating media content handoff between two proximate displaydevices, in accordance with some embodiments. One or more steps of themethod 500 may be implemented as a set of instructions stored on acomputer-readable memory 118A, 1186, 124, and/or 130 and executable onone or more processors 116A, 1166, 122, and/or 128.

At block 502, one or more remote media servers (e.g., media contentserver 108 and/or media authentication server 110), may send particularmedia content to a first media player device (e.g., media player device102A). In some examples, the remote media server may send the particularmedia content to the first media player device based on a requestreceived from the first media player device.

At block 504, the one or more remote media servers may receive a handofftoken (or information from a handoff token) from a second media playerdevice (e.g., media player device 102B). For instance, the second mediaplayer device may receive the handoff token from the first media playerdevice. For instance, the handoff token may include, e.g., an indicationof the particular media content, an indication of a point within astream of the particular media content, and/or credentials associatedwith a user of the first media player device. In some examples, theremote media server may receive the indication of the particular mediacontent and/or the credentials associated with the user of the firstmedia player device from the second media player device. Moreover, insome examples, the remote media server may further receive informationassociated with the second media player device and/or informationassociated with a user of the second media player device from the secondmedia player device.

At block 506, the one or more remote media servers may verify thecredentials associated with the user of the first media player device,as received from the second media player device. In some examples, aremote media server may additionally or alternatively verify that theuser of the first media player device was authorized to play theparticular media content. Moreover, in some examples, a remote mediaserver may additionally or alternatively verify that the second mediaplayer device is authorized to play the particular media content.

At block 508, the one or more remote media servers may optionally sendan indication that the second media player device is authorized to playthe particular media content to the second media player device based onthe verification. Additionally or alternatively, one remote media servermay send an indication that the second media player device is authorizedto play the particular media content to a second remote media server(e.g., the media authentication server 110 may send an indication ofauthorization to the media content server 108).

In some examples, if the second media player device or a user of thesecond media player device is not authorized to play the particularmedia content, the one or more remote media servers may send anindication to the first media player device or to the second mediaplayer device indicating the lack of authorization. In some instances,based on the indication of the lack of authorization, the first mediaplayer device or the second media player device may display anotification indicating the lack of authorization. The notification mayinclude an indication of whether it is possible for the user to upgradeor otherwise change settings so that the second media player device orthe user of the second media player device may be authorized to play theparticular media content. For instance, a parental control settingassociated with the second media player device or associated with a userof the second media player device may need to be changed so that thesecond media player device may play the particular media content fromthe first media player device. As another example, a media contentsubscription associated with the second media player device orassociated with an account of a user of the second media player devicemay need to be upgraded so that the particular media content may beaccessed (e.g., the second media player device or a user of the secondmedia player device does not currently subscribe to a particular channelor service associated with the particular media content). In any case,once the user of the second media player device makes changes orupgrades, the second media player device may be authorized to play theparticular media content.

At block 510, based on the authorization, the one or more remote mediaservers may send the particular media content to the second media playerdevice. For instance, in some examples, the media content server 108 maysend the particular media content to the second media player devicebased on receiving the indication of authorization received from themedia authentication server 110.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 600 of a displaydevice receiving a request to hand off particular media content to aproximate display device and sending a handoff token enabling theproximate display device to play the particular media content inresponse to the request, in accordance with some embodiments. One ormore steps of the method 600 may be implemented as a set of instructionsstored on a computer-readable memory 118A, 1186, 124, and/or 130 andexecutable on one or more processors 116A, 1166, 122, and/or 128.

At block 602, a first media player device (e.g., media player device102A) currently playing particular media content from a remote mediaserver (e.g., media content server 108) may determine that a secondmedia player device (e.g., media player device 1026) is within athreshold proximity of the first media player device. In some examples,the second media player device may determine that the first media playerdevice is within a threshold proximity of the second media playerdevice. In any case, either or both of the first media player device andthe second media player device may determine that the two devices arewithin a threshold proximity of one another.

For example, determining that the two device are within a thresholdproximity of one another may include the first media player devicereceiving a short-range signal from the second media player device,and/or the second media player device receiving a short-range signalfrom the first media player device.

At block 604, the first media player device may receive an indication ofa request to hand off the particular media content to the second mediaplayer device.

In some examples, the request may originate from a user of the firstmedia player device. For instance, in some examples, if the first mediaplayer device is a mobile device, the user may move or touch the firstmedia player device in a specific way to request the handoff of theparticular media content to the second media player device. For example,the user may perform a specific gesture while holding the first mediaplayer device to indicate that he or she is requesting the handoff ofthe particular media content, and the first media player device mayreceive the indication of the request based on the motion sensor of thefirst media player device detecting a motion of the first media playerdevice indicative of the gesture.

Furthermore, in some examples, receiving the indication of the requestfrom the user of the first media player device to hand off theparticular media content from the first media player device to thesecond media player device may include determining that the user of thefirst media player device has tapped or otherwise brought the firstmedia player device very close to the second media player device, e.g.,based on the first media player device receiving a low-power short-rangesignal from the second media player device. For instance, the low-powershort-range signal may be generated by the second media player device byreducing the power supplied to a short-range signal transmitter, i.e.,such that the low-power short-range signal will only be received by thefirst media player device when the two media player devices are closeenough to be touching one another.

Moreover, in some examples, the first media player device may receive arequest for handoff of the particular media content from a user of thefirst media player device via a user interface of the first media playerdevice. For example, upon determining that the second media playerdevice is within the threshold proximity of the first media playerdevice, the first media player device may generate a notificationindicating that the first media player device is within the thresholdproximity of the second media player device.

The first media player device may present the notification via a userinterface display, and the notification may include an option selectableby the user of the first media player device to hand off the particularmedia content from the first media player device to the second mediaplayer device. In some examples, a user interface of the first mediaplayer device may be configured to receive a selection from the user asto whether the particular media content from the first media playerdevice should be handed off to the second media player device, or viceversa (e.g., whether particular media content from the second mediaplayer device should be handed off to the first media player device).For instance, the user may swipe in one direction to indicate that theuser is requesting a handoff of content from the first media playerdevice to the second media player device, and in an opposite directionto indicate that the user is requesting a handoff of content from thesecond media player device to the first media player device.

Furthermore, in some examples, the first media player device maydetermine that there are multiple other media player devices within thethreshold proximity of the second media player device, and may a userinterface of the first media player device may generate a notificationincluding an indication of each of the other media player devices (e.g.,“Living Room TV”, “Alice's Smart Phone”, “Bob's Smart Phone,” “Bob'sTablet”, etc.), including an option for the user to select one or moreof other media player devices to be handed off content from the firstmedia player device. Moreover, in some examples, a user interface of thefirst media player device may be configured to receive a selection fromthe user as to whether the particular media content is to be redirected(e.g., playing the content is ceased by the first media player devicewhen it begins to be played on the second media player device) orduplicated (e.g., the particular media content is played on multipledevices simultaneously).

Additionally, in some examples, the request may originate from thesecond media player device (or a user of the second media playerdevice). That is, the second media player device may receive anindication of a request for content to be handed off from the firstmedia player device to the second media player device (e.g., from a userof the second media player device), and may send an indication of therequest to the first media player device, which may receive the requestat block 604. For instance, the second media player device may receive auser's request in ways similar to the ways discussed above in which thefirst media player device may receive the indication of a user's request(e.g., based on a gesture performed by a user of the second media playerdevice, via a user interface, by the two devices being tapped togetheror otherwise moved very close to one another, etc.), and may send anindication of the request to the first media player device.

At block 606, the first media player device may send a handoff token tothe second media player device to enable the second media player deviceto play the particular media content from the remote media server, e.g.,based on both determining that the first media player device is withinthe threshold proximity of the second media player device and receivingthe indication of the request. For instance, the first media playerdevice may send the handoff token to the second media player device viaa short-range signal.

Although the preceding text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legalscope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forthat the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construedas exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment, asdescribing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if notimpossible. One could implement numerous alternate embodiments, usingeither current technology or technology developed after the filing dateof this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined inthis patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term “_(——————)” ishereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intentto limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication,beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not beinterpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in anysection of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To theextent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent isreferred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning,that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader,and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implicationor otherwise, to that single meaning.

Throughout this specification, unless indicated otherwise, pluralinstances may implement components, operations, or structures describedas a single instance. Although individual operations of one or moremethods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one ormore of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, andnothing requires that the operations be performed in the orderillustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separatecomponents in example configurations may likewise be implemented as acombined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionalitypresented as a single component may be implemented as separatecomponents. These and other variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as includinglogic or a number of routines, subroutines, applications, orinstructions. These may constitute either software (code embodied on anon-transitory, tangible machine-readable medium) or hardware. Inhardware, the routines, etc., are tangible units capable of performingcertain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certainmanner. In example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., astandalone, client or server computer system) or one or more hardwaremodules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group ofprocessors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application orapplication portion) as a hardware module that operates to performcertain operations as described herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain operations. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that istemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiplesuch hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may beachieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) that connects the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, in some embodiments, the methods or routines described hereinmay be at least partially processor-implemented. For example, at leastsome of the operations of a method may be performed by one or moreprocessors or processor-implemented hardware modules. The performance ofcertain of the operations may be distributed among the one or moreprocessors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployedacross a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the one ormore processors or processor-implemented modules may be located in asingle geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an officeenvironment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the one ormore processors or processor-implemented modules may be distributedacross a number of geographic locations.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “insome embodiments” in various places in the specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment or embodiments.

Some embodiments may be described using the terms “coupled,”“connected,” “communicatively connected,” or “communicatively coupled,”along with their derivatives. These terms may refer to a direct physicalconnection or to an indirect (physical or communication) connection. Forexample, some embodiments may be described using the term “coupled” toindicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electricalcontact. The term “coupled,” however, may also mean that two or moreelements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet stillco-operate or interact with each other. Unless expressly stated orrequired by the context of their use, the embodiments are not limited todirect connection.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the words “a” or “an” are employed to describeelements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merelyfor convenience and to give a general sense of the description. Thisdescription, and the claims that follow, should be read to include oneor at least one, and the singular also includes the plural unless thecontext clearly indicates otherwise.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs forhanding off media content between proximate display devices. Thus, whileparticular embodiments and applications have been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are notlimited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein.Various modifications, changes and variations, which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, may be made in the arrangement, operation anddetails of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

The particular features, structures, or characteristics of any specificembodiment may be combined in any suitable manner and in any suitablecombination with one or more other embodiments, including the use ofselected features without corresponding use of other features. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particularapplication, situation or material to the essential scope and spirit ofthe present invention. It is to be understood that other variations andmodifications of the embodiments of the present invention described andillustrated herein are possible in light of the teachings herein and areto be considered part of the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Finally, the patent claims at the end of this patent application are notintended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless traditionalmeans-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for”or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for handing off media content betweendisplay devices, the method comprising: receiving, by a first mediaplayer device currently playing a particular frame of a particular mediacontent from a remote media server, an indication of a request to handoff the particular media content to a second media player device notcurrently playing the particular media content; sending, by the firstmedia player device, a handoff token to the second media player deviceto enable the second media player device to play the particular mediacontent from the remote media server, the handoff token including: anindication of the particular media content, an indication of a firstpoint within a stream of the particular media content, and one or morecredentials associated with a user of the first media player device; andcausing the second media player device to play the particular mediacontent starting from a second point within the stream of the particularmedia content determined based upon adding an elapsed time from thefirst point within the stream, wherein the elapsed time is an elapsedtime from a time stamp associated with the handoff token to a time ofplaying the particular media content by the second media player device.2. The method of claim 1, the handoff token further including a timestamp associated with a time of receiving the indication of the requestto hand off the first media content to the second media player device.3. The method of claim 1, the handoff token further including a timestamp associated with a time of sending the handoff token to the secondmedia player device.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pointwithin the stream of the particular media content is a first frame ofthe particular media content.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein therequest is a request from a user of the first media player device. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request from the secondmedia player device.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingceasing, by the first media player device, playing the particular mediacontent based on one or more of: (i) an elapsed time after sending thehandoff token to the second media player device; (ii) receiving, by thefirst media player device, an indication that the second media playerdevice has begun to play the particular media content; or (iii)receiving an indication of a user request to cease playing theparticular media content.
 8. A method for handing off media contentbetween display devices, the method comprising: receiving, from a firstmedia player device currently playing a particular media content from aremote media server, by a second media player device not currentlyplaying the particular media content, a handoff token to enable thesecond media player device to play the particular media content from theremote media server, the handoff token including one or more of: anindication of the particular media content, an indication of a firstpoint within a stream of the particular media content, and one or morecredentials associated with a user of the first media player device;sending, from the second media player device to the remote media server,at least one of the indication of the particular media content or theone or more credentials associated with the user of the first mediaplayer device; receiving, at the second media player device from theremote media server, an indication of an authorization of the secondmedia player device to play the particular media content; and playing,by the second media player device from the remote media server, theparticular media content starting from a second point within the streamof the particular media content determined based upon adding an elapsedtime from the first point within the stream, wherein the elapsed time isan elapsed time from a time stamp associated with the handoff token to atime of playing the particular media content by the second media playerdevice.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving, by thesecond media player device, a request from a user of the second mediaplayer device to hand off the particular media content from the firstmedia player device to the second media player device; and sending, fromthe second media player device to the first media player device,responsive to the request from the user, a request for a handoff token.10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: sending, from the secondmedia player device to the remote media server, one or more credentialsassociated with one or more of: the second media player device or a userof the second media player device.
 11. The method of claim 8, thehandoff token further including a time stamp associated with a time ofthe first media player device receiving an indication of a request froma user of the first media player device to hand off the first mediacontent to the second media player device.
 12. The method of claim 8,the handoff token further including a time stamp associated with a timeof the first media player device sending the handoff token to the secondmedia player device.
 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:generating, by the second media player device, a time stamp associatedwith a time of receiving the handoff token.
 14. The method of claim 8,wherein the first point within the stream of the particular mediacontent is a first frame of the particular media content.
 15. The methodof claim 8, wherein the elapsed time to be added to the first pointwithin the stream is determined based on a difference between a firstframe-rate associated with the first media player device and a secondframe-rate associated with the second media player device.
 16. A systemfor handing off media content between display devices, the systemcomprising: a remote media server, the remote media server beingcommunicatively connected to a first media player device configured toplay media content and to a second media player device configured toplay media content, the remote media server comprising: one or moreprocessors; and a non-transitory program memory communicatively coupledto the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that,when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to:send a particular media content to the first media player device;receive, from the second media player device, a handoff token includingone or more of: an indication of the particular media content, or one ormore credentials associated with a user of the first media playerdevice; verify one or more of: (i) the one or more credentialsassociated with the user of the first media player device; (ii) that theuser of the first media player device is authorized to access theparticular media content; or (iii) that the second media player deviceis authorized to access the particular media content; responsive to asuccessful verification, send one or more of: (i) an authorization toplay the particular media content or (ii) the particular media contentto the second media player device; and cause the second media playerdevice to play the particular media content starting from a second pointwithin the stream of the particular media content determined based uponadding an elapsed time from the first point within the stream, whereinthe elapsed time is an elapsed time from a time stamp associated withthe handoff token to a time of playing the particular media content bythe second media player device.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause theprocessors to: responsive to an unsuccessful verification, send anindication of a change in one or more settings of the second mediaplayer device needed for the second media player device to be authorizedto access the particular media content.
 18. The system of claim 16,wherein the settings include one or more of: (i) parental controlsettings associated with the second media player device or (ii)subscription settings associated with the second media player device.